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Home » Desserts » Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

Published: Nov 20, 2020 Modified: Nov 20, 2020 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

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Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

The best vegan gluten-free chocolate cake! Rich and decadent and made with simple ingredients. No one will ever guess it’s both vegan and gluten-free!

Vegan gluten free chocolate cake on a white cake stand with one slice cut and ready to serve.

If you’re a regular reader of this blog then you’ll know that I don’t eat gluten-free. My mom and sister, however, do. So I love making them cakes and cupcakes when there’s a birthday or special occasion.

And honestly this cake is so good that there will never be a reason to make a gluten-free vegan cake and a ‘regular’ vegan cake for everyone else. If you have a gluten-free guest coming over for a special occasion then this is the cake to make for them and for everyone! There won’t be a single complaint I promise.

Of course if you love the look of this cake but only have regular all purpose flour on hand and you don’t need it to be gluten free then no problem. You can simply switch the gluten free flour for all purpose flour and get the same fantastic results. Or make our dairy-free chocolate cake or our best vegan chocolate cake instead.

Chocolate cake on a white cake stand with one slice cut and ready to serve.

How To Make Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

  • Sift gluten free flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl and add white sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and instant espresso powder and mix together.
  • Prepare vegan buttermilk by adding 1 Tbsp lemon juice to a measuring jug and adding soy milk up to the 1 cup (240ml) line. Let it curdle.
  • Prepare flax eggs by adding 2 Tbsp of ground flaxseed meal to a bowl and then adding 6 Tbsp hot water. Let it sit for a minute to become gloopy.
  • Add the vegan buttermilk to the mixing bowl along with flax eggs, oil and vanilla extract. Stir into a thick batter.
  • Now add in a cup of boiling hot water and whisk it in. The batter will be thin.
Step by step process photo collage of making the batter for a vegan gluten free chocolate cake.
  • Divide the batter between two 9-inch cake pans (sprayed with non-stick spray and lined with circles of parchment paper on the bottom).
  • Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
  • Allow to cool in the cake pans for a few minutes before transferring them to wire cooling racks to cool completely before frosting.
Step by step process photo collage of making a vegan gluten free chocolate cake.

Recipe Tips

Gluten-free all purpose flour. It’s essential that you use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend. I don’t recommend trying this recipe with any single type of gluten-free flour such as rice flour or almond flour or coconut flour. I would not expect this recipe to work in that case. It must be a blend that is meant to replace regular wheat flour.

Instant espresso powder. We use just a little instant espresso powder in this recipe which really helps to enhance the chocolate flavor. You don’t notice any coffee flavor at all in the cake, it’s just really chocolatey. You can use any espresso powder or instant coffee. Alternatively you can omit it altogether.

Vegan buttermilk. We made the vegan buttermilk using soy milk. But you can also make it using almond milk if you prefer.

Flax eggs. This recipe uses two flax eggs which is just a mix of ground flaxseed with hot water. You can make a chia egg the exact same way as a flax egg and use that instead. Or you can replace the flax eggs with 6 Tbsp of applesauce.

The Frosting. The frosting on this cake (as pictured) is the whipped version of our vegan chocolate ganache. It’s just 2-ingredients: vegan chocolate and coconut cream. It’s not a very sweet frosting and so it’s ideal for those who prefer their frostings to be less sweet. If you want a more traditional buttercream frosting then our vegan chocolate buttercream frosting will also work great for this cake.

Vegan chocolate cake on a white cake stand with one slice cut and ready to serve.

Recipe Q&A

What brand of gluten-free flour works best in baking?

We have tried this recipe with different brands of gluten-free flour blends and it has worked great with all. There can be some variety between brands but the main thing you want to look out for is that it must be a blend and it must be designed to replace regular flour in baking. That being said one of our favorite brands for consistent results is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour (not sponsored, we just like the flour).

What size cake pans does this recipe adapt to?

You can make this cake in two 9-inch cake pans or three 8-inch cake pans. For a fatter cake you can also do it in two 8-inch cake pans, but increase the baking time to 35 minutes. For a 9×13 sheet cake bake for 35-40 minutes.

Can I make cupcakes from this recipe?

Sure! This recipe will make 18-24 cupcakes. If you want a perfect 12 cupcakes then check out our recipe for gluten free chocolate cupcakes.

Can this cake be made with regular all purpose flour?

Sure. Just replace the 2 cups of gluten-free flour with 2 cups of regular all purpose flour.

Slice of chocolate cake on a cake lifter.

Storing and Freezing

Keep it stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Or you can keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

It is also freezer friendly for up to a month if you want to freeze it.

Slice of vegan gluten free chocolate cake on a black plate.

More Gluten-Free Baking Recipes

  1. Vegan Gluten Free Carrot Cake
  2. Gluten Free Chocolate Cake (7-inch)
  3. Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes
  4. Vegan Gluten-Free Brownies
  5. Vegan Gluten-Free Banana Bread
  6. Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Forkful of chocolate cake and frosting.
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Vegan gluten free chocolate cake

Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake


★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

  • Author: Alison Andrews
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 12
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

The best vegan gluten-free chocolate cake! Rich and decadent and made with simple ingredients. No one will ever guess it’s both vegan and gluten-free!


Ingredients

For the Cake: 

  • 2 cups (272g) Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Blend*
  • 3/4 cup (63g) Cocoa Powder (Unsweetened)
  • 2 cups (400g) White Granulated Sugar
  • 2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Instant Espresso Powder (Optional)*
  • 1 cup (240ml) Vegan Buttermilk (1 Tbsp Lemon Juice + Soy Milk up to the 1 cup line)*
  • 2 Flax Eggs (2 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed + 6 Tbsp Hot Water)*
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) Canola Oil (or Vegetable Oil)
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 cup (240ml) Hot Water

Frosting Options: 

  • Vegan Chocolate Ganache (Whipped)*
  • Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and spray two 9-inch cake pans with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper. 
  2. Sift the gluten free flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl and add the white sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and instant espresso powder and mix together. 
  3. Prepare the vegan buttermilk by adding 1 Tbsp lemon juice to a measuring jug and adding soy milk up to the 1 cup (240ml) line. Let it curdle.
  4. Prepare the flax eggs by adding 2 Tbsp of ground flaxseed meal to a bowl and then adding 6 Tbsp hot water. Let it sit for a minute to become gloopy. 
  5. Add the vegan buttermilk to the mixing bowl along with the flax eggs, oil and vanilla extract. Stir into a thick batter. 
  6. Add the hot water and whisk it in. The batter will be thin.  
  7. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared 9-inch cake pans. 
  8. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean. 
  9. Allow to cool in the cake pans for a few minutes before transferring them to wire cooling racks to cool completely before frosting. 
  10. Frost with whipped vegan chocolate ganache or vegan chocolate buttercream frosting. 

Notes

*Gluten-free all purpose flour. It’s essential that you use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend. I don’t recommend trying this recipe with any single type of gluten-free flour such as rice flour or almond flour or coconut flour. I would not expect this recipe to work in that case. It must be a blend that is meant to replace regular wheat flour. 

*Instant espresso powder. We use just a little instant espresso powder in this recipe which really helps to enhance the chocolate flavor. You don’t notice any coffee flavor at all in the cake, it’s just really chocolatey. You can use any espresso powder or instant coffee. Alternatively you can omit it altogether. 

*Vegan buttermilk. We made the vegan buttermilk using soy milk. But you can also make it using almond milk if you prefer. 

*Flax eggs. This recipe uses two flax eggs. If you don’t have ground flaxseeds you can replace the flax eggs with 6 Tbsp of applesauce. 

*The Frosting. The frosting on this cake (as pictured) is the whipped version of our vegan chocolate ganache recipe. It’s made with just 2-ingredients: vegan chocolate and coconut cream. It’s not a very sweet frosting and so it’s ideal for those who prefer their frostings to be less sweet. If you want a more traditional buttercream frosting then our vegan chocolate buttercream frosting will also work great for this cake. 

*Cake Sizes. You can make this cake in two 9-inch cake pans or three 8-inch cake pans. For a fatter cake you can also do it in two 8-inch cake pans, but increase the baking time to 35 minutes. For a 9×13 sheet cake bake for 35-40 minutes. 

*Cupcakes: This recipe will make 18-24 cupcakes. If you want a perfect 12 cupcakes then check out our recipe for gluten free chocolate cupcakes. 

*Make it with regular all purpose flour instead. If you don’t want this cake to be gluten-free then you can just replace the 2 cups of gluten-free flour with 2 cups (250g) of regular all purpose flour. 

*Storage: Keep it stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Or you can keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 

*Freezing: It is also freezer friendly for up to a month if you want to freeze it. 

*Nutritional information is for cake only and does not include frosting. Nutritional information for the chocolate ganache or chocolate buttercream can be found on those separate linked recipes. 

  • Category: Dessert, Gluten-Free
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Slice (of 12)
  • Calories: 303
  • Sugar: 34.1g
  • Sodium: 365mg
  • Fat: 10.9g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.1g
  • Carbohydrates: 52.4g
  • Fiber: 3.9g
  • Protein: 3.9g

Keywords: vegan gluten free chocolate cake, vegan chocolate cake, gluten-free chocolate cake

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About the Author

Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Emily Grove says

    December 23, 2020 at 6:53 pm

    Hi Alison! I’ve made your other gluten-free chocolate cake a couple of times and I really like it… but which recipe do you think is better? I’m willing to start making this one instead- it’s more like my regular vegan chocolate cake recipe. Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • Alison Andrews says

      December 24, 2020 at 7:52 am

      Hi Emily, they are both good recipes, but for different pan sizes so it depends which one suits you better. If you haven’t tried this one though then I do highly recommend you try it. You may like it better than the other one, but I love them both. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Anna says

    November 22, 2020 at 3:52 pm

    I’m so impressed with this cake! It looks and tastes sooo good and being vegan and gluten free, this is extra special!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Alison Andrews says

      November 23, 2020 at 11:25 am

      Thanks Anna!

      Reply

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Hi I’m Alison Andrews! I love making delicious vegan food and creating delicious vegan versions of all your old favorite dishes, so you can have your vegan cake and eat it too!

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